Livelihoods and food sovereignty

If all the food produced in the world was shared equally we would have enough to feed almost double the world’s current population.1 Yet one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa never have enough food to eat. That is 265 million people.2 These are people living with constant hunger not as a result of war or natural disaster, but just because of the way our societies and our global food system are structured.

Food is a basic human right. Everybody deserves to have enough food to live a full and healthy life in dignity.

Hunger like apartheid and slavery is largely man-made and can therefore be prevented. If we join together we could change our food systems and the inequalities in our societies that lead to some having more food than they need while others starve. ACORD is working to support and mobilise networks and movements in Africa to take action and find solutions to hunger through a food sovereignty approach.

ACORD has been advocating on two of the main factors that affect food security and hunger in Africa: trade and agricultural policies.

Agricultural policies

Agriculture is the backbone of most economies in Africa, and with increased investment it could support realisation of food security.

Read more about ACORD's advocacy on agricultural policies and investment...

Trade

Unjust international trade rules lock poor countries in to a situation of powerlessness and poverty. For Africa, the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are especially important. ACORD is not against trade, but believes that the rules need to be changed and trade must be managed to ensure that it supports the welfare of people and the planet.